Remote work can help businesses save money and cut down on absences. But it comes with its drawbacks.
The majority of the world’s activities was shifted to online formats in the year 2020. However, the most dramatic shift was from working in a traditional office to remote work.
Teleworking is not a brand new concept. In the past it was a luxury that was only accessible to the most fortunate. However, its widespread acceptance because of the pandemic was an advantage in the current work. Many businesses already had long-term plans to establish remote workplaces however the outbreak of the disease increased the pace of implementation.
As the COVID-19 outbreak is beginning to recede and vaccinations increase Many people would like to work remotely at the very least on a partial-time basis.
There are benefits and disadvantages of remote work. Here are some tips to be aware of as we emerge from lockdowns and enters an entirely new work environment.
The benefits of remote work
Some companies embraced the work-from-home-from-home-from-home-to-home-. Some took time to set in place systems to allow remote work. Once they were able to iron out the kinks they realized that this new mode of working offered some advantages.
1. A better work-life balance
One of the most frequent complaints in the modern world is the challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. A full-time job that lasts for eight hours or more each day means little time for family time — especially when sleep and commutes are accounted for. Homework allows for shorter journeys and allows family time to be spent with loved ones. On days when employees aren’t required to participate in video conferences, they are able to dress in whatever way they want and even wear pajamas. The greater comfort and a better work-life balance leads in less tension.
2. Increased productivity
Remote employees reported stable or improved productivity when working remotely as compared to at an office as per to the Great Place to Work research. In 2020, the most dramatic improvement in productivity was seen in April and May, at the peak in the spread of the disease. The reason for this was due to the reduction of commutes every day and long meetings in person.
3. Timeliness
Working at home, many factors that contribute to the tardiness can be eliminated or reduced. The most common causes are oversleeping and having to wait in traffic for hours, and standing in a long line at the drive-through in order to have a cup of coffee in the morning. The ability to roll out of bed and get working is an enormous time-saver.
4. A decrease in absenteeism, and a reduction in turnover
Remote work is a great way to aid businesses in keeping employees and decrease absences. If remote workers aren’t shackled by their bosses and feel that they can trust their employer They will more likely to build positive attitudes towards the leadership of the organization. This means that employees are less likely to search for a new job which will encourage a sense of loyalty and loyalty. Even if they aren’t searching for new positions and aren’t looking for new jobs, they may be less likely to pull off at any time.
5. Cost savings
Remote teams allow businesses to rent smaller office space -or even shift to a cloud-based, remote operation entirely. This helps organizations save money on the cost of rent, utilities and other office equipment.
6. Flexibility
Remote work lets employees work from anywhere , not only at home. Beaches, coffee shops and other locations are available. If you are able to work synchronously businesses can also extend operations beyond a normal 9-5 working day. Flexible hours of work can be an ideal solution for those who work at night or have children who are young. This is an advantage for businesses looking to extend their working hours with smaller personnel. It’s also a desirable benefit that lets employers make use of a wider applicant pool during the process of hiring.
7. Incentive to enhance technology in the workplace
The companies scrambled to set up the appropriate equipment in place to allow remote work after the pandemic started. A lot of companies were operating with outdated software, which forced them to upgrade their equipment. At the time, a few firms were already exploring the concept of telework, and were better equipped to tackle this issue. However, even they faced difficulties expanding from a few employees who had remote access to a full workforce.
Businesses needed business messengers and video conferencing platforms, timekeeping software tasks management systems, as well as cloud computing services in order to substitute their old software and office processes. They also needed VPNs as well as other security tools to safeguard these systems. The end result was that this technological investment has helped businesses integrate into the world of business and put them on than a level playing field.
The disadvantages of remote work
While remote work does have its pros but it also has its drawbacks. There are a few things to take into consideration prior to making remote work a regular feature of the workplace.
8. At-home distractions
There are numerous distractions in the home that could distract the employee’s concentration on their job. These include crying children, the sound of the road, doorbells ringing or dogs barking, as well as chores around the house. If employees work at home, it’s vital to have a designated work space as well as access to childcare facilities and an established timetable.
9. Isolation
Remote work — particularly for those who live on their own is a source of feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even if an employee is in their own space inside a physical office building there is a constant stream of people in the corridor, elevator and parking lots all day. They also meet people at the gas station, cafés, and restaurants during their commute to work as well as during their lunch break. They may just exchange pleasantries, but this is an in-person social encounter. Workers working from home are left the opportunity to engage in these conversations.
10. Work-life balance is not balanced
While a more balanced work-life balance is often a positive thing but many teleworkers discover contrary. Many employees report that their work is a part of their lives increasing. It may start with an easy task, like replying to emails when leaving at the end of the working day. If workers don’t take care this could lead to numerous emails or more work in the evenings. Some people find that this could turn the eight-hour working day into a 10 hour day or more. It is when the line blurs between working and home life gets difficult to discern when work is at home, leading to stress as well as lower levels of morale.
11. More meetings are required
When employees of a company are spread across the globe and spread across the globe, management will need to monitor the employees in some way. In the world of remote working that means that managers will not walk around in the workplace to check the status of their workers. Instead, they must arrange online meetings to discuss the routine projects management issues. While virtual meetings are less disruptive than traditional meetings however, they’re rarely the main focus of work. A flurry of meetings is often a source of frustration for employees.
12. Cybersecurity issues
Security is always top of any business’s priority list. It becomes crucial when an organization is required to support remotely-based working. The security vulnerabilities of a company are increased when you include firewalls, antivirus software, or VPN setups to accommodate employees’ homes internet connections. Additionally, the situation gets more complicated the time when employees choose to work from a café or any other place with WiFi access, or when they use personal devices on the network of a company. Before the concept of remote work even gets mentioned companies must ensure they are able to be able to meet or exceed security requirements to prevent a cybersecurity-related disaster.
13. It is difficult to maintain confidentiality
Companies also have to deal to the threat of confidential breaches. For instance, someone might overhear conversations that are confidential or looking at sensitive documents on an employee’s personal computer. Businesses should stress the importance of protecting privacy, and think about limiting working in public areas.
14. Unstable/inconsistent internet access
There is no way to guarantee that your internet connection will be 100% stable in every second. Apart from internet outages and electrical power connectivity can be inconsistent in terms of speed and reliability throughout the day. Particularly for those living in zones where a lot of others work from home, like apartment complexes or urban areas that are crowded speed is slow buffering, poor video and audio connections are not uncommon.
The issue is exacerbated by the disparity in quality internet connectivity across the country. Internet service that is reliable is accessible in rural regions. Home broadband is typically less common among Black and Hispanic homes in comparison to white homes as per the results of a PEW Research Center survey. Homeowners with lower income and education levels are also restricted in terms of high-quality internet connectivity.
15. Uncomfortable for new hires
The process of starting a new job can be stressful for the majority of people, even in the most ideal of conditions. However, new employees to an organization could feel overwhelmed when moving from a traditional office to one that is located at home. They not only have to figure out how to function in the new position as well, but they also have to be able to navigate the new technologies. Therefore managers might be more involved in training a remote employee.
Returning to work
After taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of remote work, a lot of employers may wish to have employees return to their office. It could be in full-time or even a hybrid strategy. Certain employees might welcome the idea, while others not like the idea. It’s up to an employer’s responsibility to create the transition as smooth and easy for employees as they can. Here are some suggestions to help ease the transition back to work.
Transparency and open communication. Don’t hide plans to bring everyone back to work in the middle of the weekly memo from your company. Employers must inform employees immediately after they’ve made the decision to return to work. Make sure that all employees understand the planned date and are informed when deadlines are achieved.
Give reasons why the change is needed. Employees do not need to know everything about the plan for transition, but they’ll appreciate being honest about the reason their employer is asking them back in the office. They’ll also be more likely to consider the perspective of the company when they have evidence to back this decision.
Inform employees about office changes. The company should make sure that employees are aware of what they are expected to do before they return to the office. This could include things like continuous enforcers of social distancing, or permitting employees to work from home on one or more days per week.
Let employees provide suggestions. Many companies took employee’s suggestions into consideration when entering lockdown. Employees told employers about the tools that could help them complete their jobs better when working from a remote location. Also, companies should seek employees’ opinions on what could make it easier to return to work.
Be patient. Employers should allow employees to get used to working from a desk once more. This can be achieved by helping them transition back to regular office work , while working at home part-time. Also, request employee feedback regarding easing any anxiety or concerns in the transition. Make sure that employees know the resources available to them. to offer, including on-site daycare services.
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